Survey for Parents/ Target Market

[Jusbytheclown]

Please ask one former client these questions and post the results.
I've just started asking these questions, and I've been pleasantly surprised.


1. Have you ever hired a party clown, children’s entertainer, novelty act?
2. Are you definitely hosting a party this year?
3. How much will you spend on party entertainment this year?
4. What steps would you take to find info about hiring a local clown?
5. If you moved to another town, how would you find the best clown?
6. Who actually does the hiring of clowns?
7. Who influences the buying?
8. What don't you like about hiring a clown?
9. What would establish the credibility of a clown?
10. What features do you want in a clown?
11. What features are you willing to pay for?
12. What is the maximum price you would pay a clown?
13. What price level would be suspiciously low?
14. Male or Female
15. Age
16. Zip code
17. Occupation
18. Do you have cable TV?
19. Radio station do you listen to?
20. Which other events would you be willing to have a clown at?

[Tip: try not to interrupt them and influence their answers unless they say 'I don't know' then you can fish out your ideas (i.e. #13 "by donation? $1? $2? $5? $10?..." or #11 "balloons? face-painting? magic? gift bags?"]

[Jusbytheclown]

1. Have you ever hired a party clown, children’s entertainer, novelty act?
3 of 15 Yes
2. Are you definitely hosting a party this year?
6 of 15 Yes
3. How much will you spend on party entertainment this year?
Average $154.44, High price $300, Low price $30, 7 claimed $0
4. What steps would you take to find info about hiring a local clown?
Internet: 8, Word of mouth: 3, Yellow Pages: 2, Print: 2
5. If you moved to another town, how would you find the best clown?
Similar to #4
6. Who actually does the hiring of clowns?
Mom: 5, Dad: 2, Parents as partners: 1, YMCA: 1
7. Who influences the buying?
Child: 2, Other parent: 2, Site Director: 1
8. What don't you like about hiring a clown?
Fear: 8, Age of child: 4, Prefer other entertainment: 3, Cost: 3
9. What would establish the credibility of a clown?
Word of mouth: 12, references: company/ group affiliation: 2, years in business: 2, video: 2, background check: 1, internet: 1, training: 1, meeting in person: 1
10. What features do you want in a clown?
Age-appropriate: 4, Jokes/ Funny: 4, Balloons: 3, Face-painting: 2, Games: 2, Juggling: 1, Magic: 1, ecologically friendly treats: 2, Interactive, Educational: 1, Not-scary: 1, Pyrotechnics: 1, Bubbles: 1, Storytelling: 1
11. What features are you willing to pay for?
Balloons: 3, Face-painting: 2, Gift bag: 2, Pyrotechnics: 1, Unicycle: 1, Simple magic: 1
12. What is the maximum price you would pay a clown?
Average: $126.11, High price: $300, Low price: $35, Don’t Know: 2
13. What price level would be suspiciously low?
Average: $26.38, High price: $50, Low price: $8 (Minimum wage)
14. Male or Female
F: 12, M: 3
15. Age
Average: 43.79, Oldest: 59, Youngest: 27
16. Zip code
17. Occupation
Stay at home mom: 2, Music teacher: 2, college professor, preschool teacher, radio management, attorney, occupational therapist, TV producer, massage practitioner

18. Do you have cable TV?
Yes: 9
19. Radio station do you listen to?
NPR affiliate (KPLU/KUOW, etc): 10, College station (KAOS): 8, Pirate radio (FRO): 2, the 103.7 the Mountain: 3
20. Which other events would you be willing to have a clown at?
Neighborhood party, 40th birthday, community center, family workshop, BBQ, April Fool’s, office party, environmental festivals, themed festivals, company picnic,

[tim]

Wow, pyrotechnics? Even I would pay good money for a clown who could do THAT!!!

I wonder if I ought to start quoting $26.38. Not $25. Not $30. $26.38

Ok, so what clown advertises "ecologically friendly treats?"

I think it is intriguing that people want to use the internet to garner information, but ultimately it seems to be word of mouth which sells them on it.

Dude, I want an ad on the pirate radio station!

Actually, it is amazing that so many listen to the NPR station. Hmmm, fundraising potential. "Did you know that more listeners to OUR stations are likely to hire a clown than listenership of any other programming in town? Yes, you'll be attracting quite the highbrow audience is you buy advertising on NPR!"

[Pickles]

Originally Posted by tim

Yes, you'll be attracting quite the highbrow audience is you buy advertising on NPR!"

Except there isn't advertising on NPR, right? Sponsorships maybe, but not advertising. That's part of the reason why I listen to public radio.

[tim]

Originally Posted by Pickles

Except there isn't advertising on NPR, right? Sponsorships maybe, but not advertising. That's part of the reason why I listen to public radio.

Touche!

"This post made possible by the generosity of Pickles the Clown!"

For a donation of $200, Pickles will appear at your party as a special thank you gift for supporting our station.

[Jusbytheclown]

a Donation is in order for public-radio stations... but if you actually LISTEN to a station, get to know the DJs and call-in as your clown... THEN donate for a pledge premium.
on a community station... sometimes a college station... you can get your big feet even further in the door with their events calendar/ community billboard or host a comedy show of your own... the same would be true for a public-access television station.
HOWEVER,
if you're a producer you then walk the tight rope of not selling your services outright or PLUGOLA/PLAYOLA.
let me know if anyone has made good connections with free local media.
On the pirate stations... it's all fair game, mateys!

[Jolly Well]

Ok, so what clown advertises "ecologically friendly treats?"

Me! Sort of... I push the whole eco-friendly latex aspect of ballooning and make some of the benefits known;
(balloons atrophy at around the same rate as a leaf, trees are kept for sapping for latex rather than cutting for timber, etc). I also try to use bio-fuels with my fire acts. This is tough as most of the fuels won't atomize correctly, as a result - I've all but abandoned my fire set.

[Fitzwilly]

Wow Jolly, I bet you had all kinds of trouble with that last batch of Bio-Diesel. (and you smelled like burnt french fries for weeks.)